Former Deputy Director
Kate Arvin (she/her) decided to answer a series of questions instead of writing a bio. Kate’s been working behind the scenes at OFT since 2011. Now she’s moving from the backstage to the C-suite to help guide OFT as it’s newest Deputy Director.
How did you first get involved in the theater?
I was always an expressive kid so at 9 years old, my parents signed me up for Bellingham Childrens’ Theatre’s summer camp original production of “Schnuzik!” I was quite dubious but my best friend was doing it and I wanted to be a brave, cool, tomboy just like her. So, I gathered up my courage and committed. I hadn’t yet mastered reading and after being teased relentlessly at school, I was deeply embarrassed about that. So, on the first day, when I found out I would have to read my lines out loud in front of 40+ people … I was near tears and voiceless. Yet, when my turn came to read, the big kids near me volunteered to help without a moment’s hesitation. They sounded out or whispered the words to me, and not a single person ever made fun or made me feel less than. It was an incredibly empowering and important moment in my life. I did not know there could be groups of kids that were as welcoming and celebratory as they were and it gave me hope. It taught me to seek out and create my own community. Ever since then, I have believed that if I can help just one other human feel as embraced in their creative pursuits and happy about their abilities as I did in that moment, I will have done something great with my life. And, by the way, I have loved reading out loud ever since!
What is your favorite theater memory?
20+ years of working in theater means I have loooong list of great memories, some laugh-til-you cry and some cry-til-you laugh … Oh gosh, my favorite could be actually fooling someone with a mustache disguise in one of OFT’s Let’s Play shows (he was five but it still counts!). Or, maybe my favorite was when I was touring with an international band and the lead singer’s mic was having problems. So, I had to go onstage during his song to replace it. The mic clip broke in an obvious and comical way while I was changing it, and I ended up just holding the mic for him. He incorporated me into his dance moves while the audience cheered and when the problem resolved, I got to take a bow. OR. My favorite memory was when the original cast of OFT’s The Wind and the Willows decided to surprise our stage manager by performing the entire complicated fight-call sequence without our pants. Or, maybe it was transporting a 6’ hamster wheel down I-5 on top of my car. OR spending a Monday evening in a Best Western conference room in Wisconsin judging a Mexican drag queen contest … One thing I can say is that working in theater means I’ve got STORIES.
What do you love about Olympia’s arts scene?
I never planned to stay in Oly. I moved here to attend Evergreen in 2004, certain that I would move on to a bigger city after graduation, but I drank that water! Olympia has a fantastic love and hunger for theater that has kept my soul fed, connected and happy through even the darkest times. I fell for my Significant Other after casting him in a student play, found incredible mentorship by working backstage, forged my favorite friendships in fires of tech weeks right here in town, and those experiences qualified me to mentor my own students and to tour nationally. My tours have taken me to 270+ venues in 39 states. So, I can confidently say that this is where I want to be.
What are you most excited about in your new role at OFT?
A lot of stars had to align for this position to be as perfect as it is for me right now. I’m honored to carry on the legacy of joy and creativity that OFT’s founders began and thrilled to commit my skills to cultivating OFT’s commitments to inclusion, diversity and access for all. It’s a very exciting time to be here and see what blooms next. I can’t wait to see what I learn, who I meet next, and what stories we tell together!
Fun facts about Kate:
- During the pandemic, she and her audio friend Keith, handmade her all-time favorite tool. It’s a hammer MIG welded to a crescent wrench. We call it the “wammer.”
- She bakes about 15-30 pies per year, mostly with her actor/director/writer friend Amy. Mmm, blackberry ginger …
- Her greatest fears are heights, ladybugs and dinosaurs. But also she really loves dinosaurs. It’s complicated.
- She once drove a greater amount of miles than the circumference of the Earth in four months.
- It’s impossible to tell whether her dogs were named after Charlie Chaplin and Freddie Mercury or after her own two grandfathers. Impossible! We will never know the answer to that question.
- She runs a semi-secret society of artists who hold each other accountable for their own goals. Ask her about her deadline some time.
- She studied theater in South Africa, she enjoys making stop-motion videos and is a IATSE Local 15 stagehand.
